It was said I had the best garden about
Pensacola, which is quite likely true, as I never saw but one other.
The most important thing, however, that occurred to me while in the
hospital, was a disposition that suddenly arose in my mind, to reflect on
my future state, and to look at religious things with serious eyes. Dr.
Terrill had some blacks in his service, who were in the habit of holding
little Methodist meetings, where they sang hymns, and conversed together
seriously. I never joined these people, being too white for that, down at
Pensacola, but I could overhear them from my own little room. A Roman
Catholic in the hospital had a prayer-book in English, which he lent to
me, and I got into the habit of reading a prayer in it, daily, as a sort
of worshipping of the Almighty. This was the first act of mine, that
approached private worship, since the day I left Mr. Marchinton's; if I
except the few hasty mental petitions put up in moments of danger.
After a time, I began to think it would never do for me, a Protestant born
and baptised, to be studying a Romish prayer-book; and I hunted up one
that was Protestant, and which had been written expressly for seamen. This
I took to my room, and used in place of the Romish book. Dr. Terrill had a
number of bibles under his charge, and I obtained one of these, also, and
I actually got into the practice of reading a chapter every night, as
well as of reading a prayer, also knocked off from drink, and ceased to
swear.
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